How big does a Silky anteater get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) reaches an average size of 17.7 cm (0′ 7″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). Usually, they reach an age of 2.25 years. A full-grown exemplary reaches roughly 259 grams (0.57 lbs). A Silky anteater has 1 babies at once. The Silky anteater (genus: Cyclopes) is a member of the family Myrmecophagidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus), also known as the pygmy anteater, is a species of anteater in the genus Cyclopes, the only living genus in the family Cyclopedidae. It is found in southern Mexico, and Central and South America. A taxonomic review in 2017, including both molecular and morphological evidence, found that Cyclopes may comprise not one species (C. didactylus), as previously thought, but at least seven. The only known extinct cyclopedid species, Palaeomyrmidon incomtus, from the Late Miocene (c. 7 to 9 million years ago) of modern-day Argentina, is thought to share common ancestry with Cyclopes. It is the smallest of all known anteaters, has nocturnal habits and appears to be completely arboreal. Its hind feet are highly modified for climbing.
Animals of the same family as a Silky anteater
We found other animals of the Myrmecophagidae family:
- Northern tamandua with an average maximal age of 9.5 years
- Giant anteater with a size of 1.12 meter (3′ 9″)
- Southern tamandua with a size of 56.1 cm (1′ 11″)
Animals with the same size as a Silky anteater
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Silky anteater:
- Whitehead’s spiny rat with a size of 16.7 cm (0′ 7″)
- Lesser hamster-rat with a size of 14.9 cm (0′ 6″)
- Ribboned rope squirrel with a size of 16.7 cm (0′ 7″)
- Ornate flying fox with a size of 18.3 cm (0′ 8″)
- Spotted ground squirrel with a size of 14.5 cm (0′ 6″)
- Brazilian squirrel with a size of 17.2 cm (0′ 7″)
- Indian hedgehog with a size of 18 cm (0′ 8″)
- Lowland streaked tenrec with a size of 17.5 cm (0′ 7″)
- Siskiyou chipmunk with a size of 14.5 cm (0′ 6″)
- Alpine pika with a size of 17.5 cm (0′ 7″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Silky anteater
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (1) as a Silky anteater:
- Granada hare
- Southwestern myotis
- Black-mantled tamarin
- Least horseshoe bat
- Cape elephant shrew
- Northern elephant seal
- Grey-headed flying fox
- Black crested gibbon
- Desert long-eared bat
- Giant bandicoot
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Silky anteater
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Silky anteater:
- Norway lemming with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Tome’s spiny rat with an average maximal age of 2.58 years
- Grant’s golden mole with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Typical striped grass mouse with an average maximal age of 2.5 years
- Swamp antechinus with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Delany’s mouse with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Australian swamp rat with an average maximal age of 2.42 years
- Eurasian pygmy shrew with an average maximal age of 2 years
- Laxmann’s shrew with an average maximal age of 2 years
- McIlhenny’s four-eyed opossum with an average maximal age of 2.25 years
Animals with the same weight as a Silky anteater
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Cyclopes didactylus:
- Luzon broad-toothed rat bringing 268 grams to the scale
- Madagascan fruit bat bringing 296 grams to the scale
- Roberto’s spiny rat bringing 285 grams to the scale
- Big-eared woodrat bringing 225 grams to the scale
- Lundomys bringing 238 grams to the scale
- Lowland ringtail possum bringing 300 grams to the scale
- Tumbala climbing rat bringing 280 grams to the scale
- Napo spiny rat bringing 285 grams to the scale
- Gray-footed spiny rat bringing 284 grams to the scale
- Three-striped dasyure bringing 223 grams to the scale